


ai to shi no rondo

by orphan_account



Category: Romeo & Juliet - Takarazuka Revue, Romeo And Juliet - All Media Types, Romeo et Juliette - Presgurvic
Genre: Based on the Takarazuka versions, Canonical Character Death, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, References to Shakespeare
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-24
Updated: 2018-09-24
Packaged: 2019-07-16 00:10:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16074278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Love and Death, before and during the musical.





	ai to shi no rondo

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the Takarazuka versions, especially the 2013 production.
> 
> The last thing I needed was to write fanfics for yet another fandom, especially when I'm supposed to be preparing for NaNoWriMo. But then I watched the Takarazuka versions of _Roméo et Juliette_ , and this sort of wrote itself.

She meets him everywhere. The two of them are the greatest certainties in the universe. Love and death, light and dark, beginning and ending. Sometimes he triumphs. In Rome, in Denmark, in Scotland he turns mortals against each other until nothing remains but death and despair. He lingers long enough to gloat at his victory before he vanishes into the shadows. Sometimes she triumphs. In Messina, in Athens, in Illyria she brings love and joy in spite of all he can do. He glares at her as she smiles on the wedding of a loving — if sometimes argumentative — couple.

Sometimes he takes the love she gives and twists it into something monstrous. Sometimes she uses the death he brings to bind souls together. Sometimes neither of them wins, and they are left in an uneasy truce as the nun begs for mercy for her would-be rapist, and the lawyer forces the Jew to convert.

And yet, they are not truly enemies. They have existed through countless ages together. She knows more about him than his servants do, and he knows everything about her. She wouldn't hate him even if she were capable of hate. He is capable of it, but she knows he doesn't hate her. It's impossible to hate your one constant companion. There are days — few and far between — when they are not battling over someone's future, when they can forget they are Love and Death and be simply two people watching the world go by.

She knows she will find him in Verona before she goes there. A feud that has lasted almost a century is the sort of chaos he delights in making worse. So she isn't surprised when he meets her the moment she sets foot in the city. He smiles at her as the humans fight, and she knows he thinks he's won. She brings two humans together in the middle of the fight, and his smile vanishes as they stare lovingly at each other.

And so it goes, on and on. One minute she is sure she will win here. Romeo and Juliet meet and fall in love. She pushes them together and dances with joy. The next she fears he will win. Mercutio and Tybalt run headlong into battle every time they meet. He whispers in Tybalt's ear and plants fears in Romeo's heart. But when Romeo and Juliet are married, Love is sure she will prevail.

Death watches the wedding from the shadows, and his grin worries her.

They have no need for speech or language. Each understands perfectly what the other means from their eyes, their smiles, their slightest movement.

 _You cannot win,_ she tells him with a tilt of her head.

His smile widens.  _Can't I?_

The next day a duel shakes Verona to the core, and Love's hope of victory dies as dramatically as Mercutio and Tybalt. She tries desperately to give Romeo and Juliet their happy ending. But Death thwarts her every plan. Everyone thinks Juliet is dead. Benvolio gives Romeo the news. Death intercepts Juliet's letter. And Love can only cry in despair as Romeo kills himself by his wife's unconscious body, and as Juliet awakes to find him dead. Death gives Juliet a knife, and there is nothing Love can do.

She screams and rages at him. He bows mockingly to her.

But he has not won as completely as he thinks. Love and Death watch as the deaths of Romeo and Juliet bring the Montagues and Capulets together at last. He can rage all he likes, but he cannot revive the feud.

Tomorrow their eternal battle continues. Each has their victories and defeats. Each always goes on with their work no matter the outcome of their skirmishes. But today the souls of Romeo and Juliet dance together, carefree as they never could be in life, and their families are finally at peace, and Love can find it within herself to forgive Death for killing them.

She smiles at him and holds out her hand. He takes it, and pulls her into a dance.


End file.
